The Ultimate Ice Climbing Quiz

The sport of Ice climbing evolved out of rock climbing and other mountaineering activities. It is mostly done at chilly, high altitudes. Take this quiz to learn more about the slipperiest climbing sport.

Start Quiz »

You scored

0 out of 20

Question 1 of 20

Which among these is a common danger in ice climbing?

Will I fall into an icy crevasse?

The most common dangers in ice climbing are falling into an icy crevasse, with frostbite and avalanches close behind.

Will I fall into a well?

Will I catch heat stroke?

Question 2 of 20

In which year is ice climbing supposed to have begun?

2008

1908

You can trace the birth of ice climbing back to 1908, when a climber named Oscar Eckenstein designed toothed claws, called crampons, that clamped onto the bottom of his boot.

1968

Question 3 of 20

What method did ice climbers use to cut footholds into the snow before crampons were invented?

step clearing

step climbing

step cutting

Before crampons were invented, ice climbers had to use step cutting, a laborious method of cutting footholds into the snow and ice with a pick or axe, to gain footing.

Question 4 of 20

Who revolutionized the design of ice axes in the 1960s?

Yvon Chouinard

In the 1960s, Yvon Chouinard, who later created the Patagonia clothing line, revolutionized the design of ice axes. First, he shortened the traditional 25-inch (63.5 cm) mountaineering axe down to 22 inches (55.8 cm). Next, he changed the shape of the traditional pick. His curved pick entered the ice more easily and was also easier to remove.

Jean Luc Goddard

François Truffaut

Question 5 of 20

What are the most important pieces of equipment an ice climber needs?

snow glasses

ice tools

Ice tools are the most important and most expensive pieces of equipment an ice climber needs. When climbers talk about their ice tools, they're referring to what people often call axes. An ice tool does in fact act like an axe.

tent

Question 6 of 20

What type of ice tool includes a leash that you wrap around your hand to help you keep hold of the tool?

wooden ice tool

leashless ice tool

traditional ice tool

A traditional ice tool has a leash that you wrap around your hand to help you keep hold of it. It's quite easy to drop a tool and a leashed tool also comes in handy if you lose your footing and need to hang from the ice until you regain it.

Question 7 of 20

What type of ice tool is easier to switch when you're not tied to your gear?

leashless ice tool

The leashless ice tool is less awkward than the traditional ice tool, and it's easier to switch tools when you're not tied to your gear. Leashless tools are becoming more popular among experienced climbers because of their flexibility.

traditional ice tool

wooden ice tool

Question 8 of 20

What type of crampons is suitable for all types of terrain?

dual-point crampons

mono-point crampons

Mono-points tend to be more flexible for mixed climbing, when your terrain varies from ice to rock over the course of the climb. Mono-points provide better ice penetration, and dual-points offer more stability but less ice penetration. Some crampons also feature heel spurs.

triple-point crampons

Question 9 of 20

What process do ice climbers use to protect themselves from falling?

sliding

slalom

protection

Ice climbers protect themselves from falling by utilizing ice screws and ropes. Climbers call this process protection. As you progress through a climb, you place ice screws in strategic areas and clip in a rope, which will save your life if you fall. Well-placed screws can support hundreds of pounds of force.

Question 10 of 20

Which is not an important item of safety equipment in ice climbing?

cotton jacket

You will need a helmet, appropriate cold weather clothing, and gloves.

cold weather clothing and gloves

helmet

Question 11 of 20

What kind of ice forms in the mountains?

alpine ice

water ice

both

In the mountains, ice forms in two ways: Alpine ice starts as snow and over time consolidates into hard-packed ice, sometimes called blue ice; water ice forms anywhere you find runoff or seepage.

Question 12 of 20

What is the ideal temperature to form ice for climbing?

45-60 degrees F

75-90 degrees F

14-30 degrees F

Ideal temperatures for climbing ice is between 14 and 30 degrees F (minus 10 and minus 1 degree C). Colder temperatures cause more ice to form more quickly, but it will take a while for the ice bonds to become strong.

Question 13 of 20

What do you call the phenomenon of ice breaking off in plates when you swing your tool into it?

dinner plating

When temperatures are well below freezing, you may encounter brittle ice, which tends to break off in plates when you swing your tool into it. Climbers call this unwelcome phenomenon dinner plating.

dinner timing

dinner forming

Question 14 of 20

In which country is the biggest indoor ice-climbing wall in the world?

United States

United Kingdom

The UK is home to the world's biggest wall, called The Ice Factor. The wall is 49 feet (15 meters) high with varied ice terrain, to imitate the cold outdoors.

United Republic of Tanzania

Question 15 of 20

What is the color of solid ice?

red

black

blue or blue-green

Solid ice tends to look blue or blue-green and it may be stained yellow from minerals. White ice is usually full of air -- it's easy to climb but it may not support your ice screws. Chandelier ice is actually hundreds of fused icicles, and it's difficult to climb safely because it's not solid enough for ice screws.

Question 16 of 20

Which technique of ice climbing works best on low-angled slopes?

flat flooting

The French technique, called flat flooting, works best on low-angled slopes. You open your feet up and walk like a duck, which keeps all crampon points flat on the ice.

flat hoofing

flat running

Question 17 of 20

Which technique of ice climbing works best on very steep or vertical terrain?

front running

front pointing

The German technique, known as front pointing, works best on very steep or vertical terrain. You kick your front crampon right into the ice and then step up.

front riding

Question 18 of 20

What is the best way to swing an ice tool?

curved swing

wild swing

straight swing

The only way to improve a swing is practice. Keep the elbow high and align it with both the hand and the tool. The straighter the swing, the more precise.

Question 19 of 20

What is the technical name for anchors cut out of ice?

bollard

Climbers can also carve their own anchors out of ice -- called bollards -- and place the rope around them. Another option is to create a V-shaped tunnel with ice screws, which is called an Abalakov after its inventor.

ballard

pollard

Question 20 of 20

How many categories is the ice rating system divided into?

four

three

The ice rating system in North America has three categories: WI for water ice, AI for alpine ice, and M for mixed.